Pemba And Northern Mozambique Travel Guide

Pemba is a port town and the capital of the Cabo Delgado
Province in the north of Mozambique. It has banks, patisseries,
supermarkets and restaurants, yet it retains a ramshackle feel with
its potholed streets. The town was built over rolling hills and
most people live in wooden huts set among the many impressive
baobab trees. The history of the people of the Cabo Delgado
province lies in many centuries of African, Arab and Portuguese
sailing, trading and settling. The Niassa Company founded Pemba in
1904 as Porto Amelia, named after a queen of Portugal. It was
renamed Pemba at the end of Portuguese rule, in 1975. Tarred roads
connect Pemba to Nampula and Ilha de Mozambique, and international
flights and tourist facilities are steadily on the increase.

Although Pemba is renowned for its Portuguese colonial
architecture, many of its attractions are natural, as it is a prime
location for water sports and diving. Nearby Ibo Island offers
empty stretches of beach to explore some of the world's richest
coral reefs, and Quipaco Island is just 12 miles (20km) to the
north. Nacole Baobab Nature Estate and Nkwita Lake are also within
an hour's drive. There is an authentic local market (souk souk) in
the centre of Pemba selling arts and crafts, as well as traditional
silverware. It is quite large, extending 1.2 miles (2km) along one
of the town's main thoroughfares. Avoid the ivory on sale at the
market, as this is sold contrary to Mozambican and international
law. Maconde arts and crafts are popular Mozambican souvenirs
available from Pemba.

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